Three firefighters hurt in Franklin research lab blaze
Mike Deak, @MikeDeakMyCJ 6:17 p.m. EDT September 10, 2015
No animals were injured in the electrical fire at Huntington Life Sciences
(Photo: ~Franklin Township Police Department)
FRANKLIN, NJ (Somerset County)
Three firefighters were hurt battling an electric fire Wednesday at Huntington Life Sciences facility on Mettlers Road.
Police say the electrical fire at Huntington Life Sciences, 100 Mettlers Road, next to Colonial Park, is not suspicious. The fire was reported at about noon Wednesday and was extinguished by 4:30 p.m.
Huntington Life Sciences, headquartered in the United Kingdom, researches and tests products for global pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, agrochemical and chemical companies.
One firefighter suffered a head and neck injury when a portion of the ceiling collapsed and struck him, police said.
Two other firefighters were overcome by apparent heat exhaustion in the 90-degree heat.
Approximately 100 workers were evacuated from the building to a building across Mettlers Road
During the evacuation, one female employee tripped and injured her ankle, police said. She was evaluated by EMS personnel and refused medical assistance.
One wing of the building suffered heavy fire, smoke and water damage. The fire started in an electrical room then quickly spread to adjacent areas, police said.
Another wing of the building housed pigs, rats and rabbits that are used in the research and testing. No animals were injured as a result of the fire and all were removed to a safe location by workers, police said.
In the past, the facility had been the target of protests by animal life activists.
The building has been temporarily condemned until repairs and a cleanup are completed.
Firefighters from the following companies responded: Franklin Township Office of Fire Prevention, Middlebush, Elizabeth Avenue, Millstone Valley, Somerset Fire and Rescue, Franklin Park, Griggstown, Little Rocky Hill, Community Fire, East Franklin, Woods Road, Flagtown , South Bound Brook, Bound Brook, Somerville, Manville and Finderne.Emergency medical personnel from the following agencies also responded: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, Somerville EMS, Manville EMS, Hillsborough EMS, Finderne EMS, Franklin-Somerset First Aid, Rutgers EMS, Middlesex EMS, Manville EMS, Martinsville EMS, North Brunswick EMS, Somerset County’s EMS Bureau and the Middlesex County EMS Task Force.
The Franklin Township Office of Emergency Management, Somerset County Office of Emergency Management, and fire coordinators from Somerset County and the state were also on scene.